The Fairfield City hall Planning Committee met on January 17, 2020. The Committee currently meets on an as-needed basis. As the process develops, regularly scheduled meetings may be in order.
Preliminary planning and investigations have provided the basis for the Committee to develop a list of steps or milestones that will be utilized in the City Hall process. Please note that while the Planning Committee’s task is to gather and provide information on these activities, each step requires Council approval. Therefore, no action will be taken until said approval is granted. Currently, no timeline has been assigned to this schedule, but as more information becomes available, dates will be developed and inserted in each report. Milestones are as follows:
- Site determination
- Preliminary design
- Asbestos abatement and demolition/cleanup of current facility
- Develop funding options
- Finalize design
- Obtain bids/Review bids/Select bid
- Construction
Mr. Larry Lasiter, Vice-President of the architecture-engineering-design firm of Goodwin-Lasiter-Strong, presented information and answered questions on planning, design, and Texas Code building requirements.
Asbestos Abatement and Demolition
A “Property Analysis Report” conducted by Texas Compliance Solutions was reviewed and discussed. Deficiencies, as previously expected, were documented and in summary, the inspector stated, “As with any building, with any noted deficiencies, if the owner is willing to fund the expenditures to repair problems, a lot can be done to bring the building into total compliance. However, it must be considered, and is the opinion of this inspector, that the cost of any repair/remodel to this building would greatly exceed the cost to remove and replace with a compliant building that would serve the public needs for years to come.” A copy of this report is available at City Hall, from one of the Committee members or online at fairfieldtexas.com.
As recommended by the Property Analysis Report and to provide more decision-making information for the planning process, an asbestos investigation was completed by MAS-D & Associates. The study revealed a limited presence of asbestos in the building; however, the material must be properly removed prior to demolition of the building. A copy of this report is available at City Hall, from one of the Committee members or online at fairfieldtexas.com.
Based on these reports, Requests for Proposals (RFP) on demolition of the existing City Hall will be entertained. The RFPs, which will be advertised to include the asbestos abatement and the demolition, will have a 30-day response time.
Preliminary discussions began on enhancing public awareness/input, funding mechanisms, and the availability of additional architectural engineering resources.
On January 22, 2020, Task Force members Davis, Oglesbee, Sanders and White began gathering information on Municipal buildings’ size, function and design for input to the planning process. Facilities in Buffalo and Centerville were visited. The group is scheduling additional tours in the coming weeks.
Please be a part of the process. Provide us with any questions, comments and suggestions on this project.
City Hall Committee:
Jason Adams, Landis Bayless, George Davis, Kenny Hughes, Vance Oglesbee, Jerry Don Sanders, and Dick White
